Art-Work Program

Innovative Training Workshops
from the Art Institute of Chicago
and Catalyst Ranch

Art-Work is a series of 5 innovative, breakthrough one-day workshops created by The Art Institute of Chicago and Catalyst Ranch, which applies a unique, arts-based learning approach to corporate training. These interactive workshops are designed to develop critical professional skills through the experience of art observation. The sessions are co-led by an experienced Corporate Trainer and an Art Institute Educator using the vast resources available at the Art Institute of Chicago and the stimulating environment of Catalyst Ranch.

The morning starts in the galleries of the Art Institute with a series of progressive exercises that utilize visual observation techniques. The exercises and discussions are guided by the Corporate Trainer and the Art Educator, each leveraging their unique skill sets to enrich the conversation and learning. There is no art training required from the participants, which levels the playing field in the discussion. Everyone’s observations have validity and there is no one correct answer to what is being depicted in the artwork. By listening to each other’s perspectives, a new dialogue is possible and the mind is opened up to a different way of perceiving and interpreting the world around it.

The experience continues in the afternoon in the highly creative environment of Catalyst Ranch. Art-based activities are used strategically to create safety, build trust, find shared values and shift perceptions. Combining right-brain imagination with leftbrain logic and analysis increases the capacity for breakthrough ideas and insights that lead to success.

			Why an arts-based approach?

There are many effective ways for people to learn to work together in new ways. Since your team is striving to create brilliance in their own way at work, it makes sense to have them be inspired by real masterpieces. At the Art Institute, some of the finest works of art in the world are available for your team to learn from. Arts-based learning challenges them to use their minds, to think differently and discover new ways to work better. The subjective nature of art is the perfect analogy for work – there are many interpretations and solutions, and even the original creator doesn’t always know what’s right. This dialogue, sparked by the genius of the masters, is the perfect metaphor for what happens in the organization. Art provides another lens through which to look at business problems and identify opportunities. Personal learning and group development seamlessly emerges from the facilitated discussions.

Here are some articles with additional information, case studies and learnings. For more, see our Thinking page, Arts-Based Learning section.

What’s Art Got To Do With It?

Art Institute’s Sept-Oct 2007 News & Events Magazine Article

Teaching Cops to See

The Intersection of Art and Business

Corporate Trainers

Museum Educators